If you haven't read my previous posts, I am doing a 7 day challenge inspired by a talk from President Thomas S Monson in a April 1972 address titled: "Finishers Wanted". In this talk, President Monson shares 5 principle he believe are essential to our success of finishing tasks and goals both here on earth, and in the eternities. He calls them, "marks of true finishers".

The first mark we discussed in my previous post was Vision. The second mark, and the mark for today is Effort. Vision without effort is daydreaming, effort without vision is drudgery; but vision, coupled with effort, will obtain the prize.

Needed is the capacity to make the second effort when life’s challenges lay us low.

“Stick to your task ’til it sticks to you;Beginners are many, but enders are few.Honor, power, place and praiseWill always come to the one who stays.“Stick to your task ’til it sticks to you;Bend at it, sweat at it, smile at it, too;For out of the bend and the sweat and the smileWill come life’s victories after a while.”I currently serve in a organization called Teens Run DC, where we teach life skills through long distance running and a mentor program, to middle school and high school aged youth. Ironically enough, our team put together 5 principles that we teach the youth we work with in our organization- and the first two are VISION AND EFFORT! It's a bit of a testimony to me that these things are kind of a big deal!

I often ask my students to define effort for me and they usually say, "it's doing something, even when it's hard." That really is a simple definition. The dictionary simply defines it as a exertion of physical or mental power. When my students are finished with their class each day, they get to tell me how many points they should receive based on the effort they put into the class. I wonder, if I had someone to report to at the end of the day, how many points I would get based on my efforts to get through a day. Days like today, I would say maybe 75 out of 100.

Today was a hard day. I put in a lot of effort. But I also probably could have put in a little extra effort to finish tasks that I have listed in my planner to do. Today wasn't perfect. But most days aren't. Still, if I am being held accountable for the effort I put into each day, and if I actually had to report it to someone important-I wonder what grade I would get. Would I ever make it to the end goal of 100 points so I can get my prize like my students? Do I get frustrated when it seems like it's taking too long to get to the prize? Am I physically present each day of my life and mentally present as well? Ready to take on the challenges before me with a positive attitude and a determination to succeed!

Today's task is to start reporting my daily points for effort. I`ll take personal accountability, and I will also report each night to my Father in Heaven. Like I do with my students, I need to put in the effort, report it, and explain how I put in the effort. Then, where I am lacking, I can ask for help to make up for the rest. Marriages are a good place to evaluate effort. Rarely in a relationship does each person put in 50/50. But luckily with God, no matter the effort you put in, if you give your best, and I mean your very best-he will certainly put in the rest!

Thanks for joining with me in this challenge! Don't forget to share any insights you might have below!